Haiti deserves attention, to be rebuilt

Sunday

Jan 31, 2010 at 12:01 AM

I read Larry Clayton's “The Haiti I Remember,” but I disagree with the message it conveys.

Dear Editor: I read Larry Clayton's “The Haiti I Remember,” but I disagree with the message it conveys.In the late '60s, I was the CIA's primary political analyst for Haiti when “Papa Doc” Duvalier was exercising his reign of terror. I wrote an assessment entitled “Haiti, No Present, No Future,” that infuriated U.S. Ambassador Clinton Knox, who protested, “Here I go begging bowl in hand seeking assistance for Haiti when out of the blue comes this lugribious tome.” I privately scoffed then, but I'm not scoffing now.I visited Haiti in the mid-70s, and most Haitians I met offered to help me by carrying my luggage, taking me to a good restaurant or introducing me to a noted artist. They wanted my money, but they were eager to work — not beg for it. I never felt in any personal danger, even when I was in downtown Port-au-Prince late one night.Haiti must be rebuilt because people everywhere deserve those inalienable rights of life, liberty and the opportunity to pursue happiness. Building new construction with rebar in the concrete and taking other measures to resist sideways loads in the buildings and foundations will help reduce similar devastation in future earthquakes. Haiti needs to be transformed into a more productive society. Why couldn't Haiti become another “Silicon Valley” or high-tech society? Prior to the Haitian Revolution of the late 18th century, Saint Dominique was the wealthiest colony in the Caribbean. Haiti needs positive, enduring and constructive attention.

Stephen SchwabUA assistant professor of historyNorthport

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